Combined cover and illuminating means for telephones



Oct. 23, 1951 LAPORTE 2,572,089

COMBINED COVER AND ILLUMINATING MEANS FOR TELEiI-IONES Filed Sept. 6, 1950 INVEN'I'OR ATTORNEY;

Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED COVER AND ILLUMINATING MEANS FQR TELEPHONES Claims.

This invention relates to a combined means for housing and illuminating the dials of dial-type telephones. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial Number 134,243, filed December 21, 1949, now Patent No. 2,560,653, granted July 17, 1951. Like my application aforesaid this invention contemplates, broadly, the provision of a light-weight, relatively thin, plastic shell shaped and dimensioned to fit over and conceal practically all of the base and superstructure of a desk-type telephone set, said shell serving to house and carry means for illuminating the dial of the telephone.

The improvements embodied in the device of the present application reside in providing a shell-like plastic cover comprising a base portion adapted to fit over the base of a conventional telephone, and an integral superstructure shaped to fit over the upper portion of such telephone,

such superstructure comprising two spaced towerlike end members connected by a transverse, horizontal bridge, the whole forming an archlike portion through which the dial proper of the telephone projects, to be accessible to the user. Both the bridge and the tower-like portions are preferably concavo-convex in cross section with their concave faces inwardly disposed, so that they present channeled members for receiving and housing the illuminating means hereinafter described. The upper front wall of. the base is cut out to accommodate the dial and the archlike portion is integral with the base and serves to tie together the side walls of the relatively thin shell at a point adjacent the cut out portion of the top wall.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a perspective View of a shell-like cover constructed in accordance with the invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal front to rear sectional view thereof, Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view upon line 3-3 of Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of one form of wiring which may be employed. Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawmg.

In carrying out; the invention I provide an ornamental light-weight plastic-material shell, shaped in general to snugly embrace a desk-type telephone, and comprising, to that end, a base portion 5 and a superstructure 5 upstanding from the base 5 At its front the superstructure comprises two upstanding towers 6, which are tied together at their tops by a bridge 1. The towers and bridge are concave-convex in cross section and, interiorly, present channeled portions. As a whole they present an attractive arch-like structure. The channeled bridge is utilized to house a horizontally disposed electric light 8 which may be of either an ordinary incandescent bulb type or may be of the incandescent gas or neon type. The current supply may be from any suitable source, such as a house lighting circuit for example. The electric cable or cord 9 includes the leads III, Ill I0, and Ill includes contact strips I3 and I4 in its length (-see Fig. 4). One strip I3 is a spring strip and tends to spring toward its companion strip It. A plunger I5 moves in a guideway I6, its upper end I5 projecting upwardly beyond the superstructure of the shell far enough to be engaged and depressed by the conventional transmitter-receiver arm of the telephone hand set when the telephone is not in use.

By referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the base is enough wider than the superstructure to provide an overhanging wall at I6 and the contact strips I3 and I4 are supported from an insulating block II that is secured to this overhanging wall. It will also be seen that the lower end of plunger I5 is curved outwardly beneath this overhanging wall so that it may, when depressed, engage and depress strip I3 and move it out of contact with strip I4. Thus the light will be extinguished by the act of placing the receiver-transmitter arm in its position of non-use but will be automatically lighted when the receiver-transmitter is lifted out of its engagement with the end I5 of strip I5. The circuit is completed at this time through lead I0 (which leads directly to the light socket 8 and lead Ill through contact strips I3 and I4.

To render it possible to keep the light lighted,

even after the receiver-transmitter is placed upon the plunger I5, is a manually-operated switch I8 and shunt lead I 6* are provided. When switch I8 is closed a circuit is completed through lead I0, lamp socket 8=-, switch I8 and lead Ifl back to II] and independently of the position of contact strips I3 and I4.

Thus the device of the invention may be utilized as a small bed or night light, or it may be employed to give such illumination as to make it possible for a person to make written notes of a just completed telephone conversation, or, under the act of lifting the transmitter from plunger I5 such illumination of the dial of the telephone may be had as to make the use of the dial possible without turning on the room lights. It is especially to be noted how the front wal1 I of the bridge 1 depends to a point low enough to constitute a shield by which the eyes of the user are shielded from the glare of the lamp and yet the light from the lamp may illuminate the face of the dial. While I have described the bridge and towers as being concave-convex in cross section, the making the bridge in that way is the feature of primary importance because such construction providesan elongated housing for an elongated light which yields uniform illumination across the width of the dial. And while making the towers concave on their inner sides adapts at least one of the towers to house the wires as shown, yet the function of the bridge and towers in forming an arch-like structure to span the open space through which the phone dial projects and to tie together the opposite sides of the fragile shell, is present, whether the towers present hollow inner sides, or not.

The invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown but includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

l. A thin plastic cover shell for telephones comprising a base shaped to fit over the base of a telephone, and a superstructure upon said base shaped to fit over the upper portion of the telephone, said superstructure at its front comprising a pair of upstanding tower-like members and a connecting bridge between said tower-like members, said bridge being concave-convex in cross section, and an electric light lying within the con cave side of the bridge, said tower-like members at their lower ends merging into and being integral with said base, said bridge and towers presenting a structure of open arch-like formation through the open front of which the dial of a telephone may project when the cover shell is placed upon a dial telephone, and said bridge and towers complementally tying together the opposite sides of the base.

2. A cover shell for telephones comprising a base shaped to fit over the base of a telephone,

and a superstructure upon said base shaped to fit over the upper portion of the telephone, said superstructure at its front comprising a pair of upstanding tower-like members, one at each side of the base, and a connecting bridge between said tower-like members, said bridge being concavoconvex in cross section, with the concave side of the bridge facing downwardly, and an electric light lying within the concave side of the bridge, said bridge and towers presenting a structure of open arch-like formation through the open front of which the dial of a telephone may project when the cover shell is placed upon a dial telephone, a plunger carried b the shell in a position to be depressed by the transmitter-receiver arm of the telephone when said arm is placed in its position of non-use, circuit controlling members actuated by said plunger, an electric circuit in which said controlling members and said lamp are included, a branch circuit and a manuallyoperable switch in the branch circuit, said switch being mounted upon one of said tower-like members and said branch circuit completing a circuit to the lamp to energize the same independently of said plunger and its circuit controlling members, said bridge and tower-like members complementally tying together the opposite side portions of the base portion of the cover shell.

3. A thin plastic cover shell for telephones comprising a base shaped to fit over the base of a telephone, and a superstructure upon aid base shaped to fit over the upper portion of the telephone, said shell having its upper front wall cut out to receive the dial of a telephone and said superstructure at its front comprising a pair of upstanding tower-like members and a connecting bridge between said tower-like members, said bridge being concavo-oonvex in cross section, and an electric light lying within the concave side of the bridge, said bridge and towers presenting a structure of open arch-like formation througli the open front of which the dial of a telephone may project when the cover shell is placed upon a dial telephone andwhich arch structure ties to gether the side portions of the base adjacent said out out portion of the upper front walls, and conductors for conveying current to the electric light which conductors are housed in one of said towerlike members. I v

4. In combination a relatively thin plastic cover shell shaped to fit over and conceal a desl; type; telephone, said shell comprising a base por'tiori as' wide as the base of the telephone with which it is used, and also comprising an integral superstruc= ture materially narrower than the base portion,- said superstructure including a pair of upstand ing tower-like members, the lower ends of which merge into the base portion and are integral therewith, a bridge that is concavo-convex in cross section extending between and tying together the tops of said towers, the concave side of said bridge being disposed downwardly, the said towers being sufficiently spaced from each other to permit the dial of a telephone to pass therebetween and to be exposed at the outer for- Ward portion of the base, the upper forward ertion of the base portion being cut out to receive the dial, an electric light housed Within the concave under side of said bridge, a control switchfor said electric light having an actuating menu-'- ber disposed upon an outer face of one of said tower-like members, said tower-like members haV- ing vertically channeled inner faces, a second electric switch, a control means for the second switch disposed in position to be depressed when the handset is placed in a position of non-use, conductors leading from the second switch up-- wardl through the channeled inner face of one of said tower-like members and current supply means leading through the base to the second named switch.

5. In combination a relatively thin ornamental plastic shell shaped to fit over and conceal a desk type dial telephone, said shell comprising a base portion as wide as the base of the telephone with which it is used and also comprising an integral superstructure materially narrower than the base portion, the front of said superstructure being shaped to present an open arch comprising upstanding side members and a transverse bridge, the side members being spaced apart enough to permit the dial of the telephone to pass therebetween and the upper forward portion of the base of the shell being cut out to permit the said dial to project upwardly through said out out portion, the lower portions of the upstanding side members being integral with the base portion of the shell and together with said bridge tying together the opposite sides of said base portion of the shell, an electric light sup-- ported upon the bridge and overlying and il-- luminating said dial, an electric circuit in which. said light is included, means for conducting electric current to said circuit and a control switch. located in and controlling said circuit, said control switch being carried by the shell and located 5 s in position to be engaged and actuated by the tele- UNITED STATES PATENTS phone receiver-transmitter hand set when said Number Name Date hand set is in a position of non-use on the tele- 155 347 Katz Sept. 27 1949 Phne base- 1,1131537 Boze Oct. 13: 1914 MARIE LAPORTE- 5 1,747,976 Hitt Feb. 18, 1930 1,893,325 Foster et a1 Jan. 3, 1933 REFERENCES CITED 2,442,988 Satz June a, 1948 The following references are of record in the 2,473,775 Allen et a1. June 21, 1949 file of this patent: 2,516,676 Caroselli July 25, 1950 

